AprilComplete season two of 20/20 Hearing™. Vacation in Wichita. Turn 35 years old. Opening of Wynn Las Vegas.

MayLas Vegas’ 100th Birthday. Several interviews with WITF. Arrange trio for Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art opening at the Bellagio for the LVCMS.

JuneAttend opening of Casa Fuente at Forum Shops – playing is Arturo Sandoval, also Andy Garcia; after party at Pure. Plays lots of Vivaldi concerti for the LVCMS fundraiser. Move to Central PA. Start at WITF.

JulyStart blogging again! Attend Market Square Concerts with Fry Street Quartet. Produce my first ArtBeat. Increase number of cds for new releases with contacts from record companies.

AugustSee friends from Germany in NYC. Go to my first YorkFest.

SeptemberAttend Gretna Music for the first time. Receive call from ASCAP – win Deems Taylor Award for 20/20 Hearing™.

OctoberHear Concertante for the first time – amazing music made with great taste. Discover great waterin' hole, Zembies in downtown H'burg.

NovemberMove my folks from Wichita to Omaha. Play world premiere of Dick Strawser’s Nocturne for violin and piano. Hear Hilary Hahn recital in Philadelphia – same day meet Jennifer Higdon in person. Birth of Laura Alexandra Perry. Hear world premiere of Jennifer Higdon’s Percussion Concerto with Colin Curry in Philadelphia.

DecemberSee eighth blackbird live on their 10th anniversary. Accept Deems Taylor Award, NYC. Receive Top Flight Award from WITF for playing violin at volunteer brunch. Record several interviews for Composing Thoughts; my first episode airs 12/31 with Chris Theofanidis.

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

I'm quite excited to be working on a New Music show called Composing Thoughts on WITF. In the past, I have produced a show in Las Vegas, called 20/20 Hearing (there's a link to it on the right side of this page - and several other cools ones too!) I wanted to share an example of 20/20 Hearing from a very talented composer, Gunther Schuller.Real Audio file

Tuesday, December 27, 2005

My very own online music awards.Musician of the year: Hilary Hahn. Her recital performance was outstanding, and we have Spohr and Paganini to look forward to this year – definitely go get her Mozart Sonatas album.Pianist of the year: Helene Grimaud. If her debut album stunned you, wait til you hear her Chopin and Rachmaninoff. Perhaps her most thoughtful and gentle interpretations.Violinist of the year: Pamela Frank. For her charming reading of Ellen Taaffe Zwilich’s Violin Concerto now out on Naxos.Singer of the year: Ian Bostridge. His latest Britten disc will take you by storm.

Young artist of the year: A tie! eighth blackbird and Concertante. Both of these groups will astound you – go see them if you have a chance.Conductor of the year: Gerard Schwarz. Champion of American composers and of my all time favorite, Andzrej Panufnik.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Sir Andzrej Panufnik. A remarkable life and composer (even if he passed away in 1991).Personal highlights of 2005Proudest moment: Accepting the Deems Taylor Award for 20/20 Hearing™.

Another very proud moment: Getting my folks settled in Omaha from Wichita.

Most affecting moment: Farewell dinners with many friends in Las Vegas.

Most unfortunate moment: Receiving call from GM at Nevada Public Radio the night before my final day saying I would not be on-air the last day. Give me a break! It not only reassured me that I had made the right decision but that they were a corporate nightmare.

Biggest sigh of relief moment: Accepting Host/Music Programmer position at WITF in Harrisburg at the end of the in-person interview.

Memorable though questionable moment: Leading a tour of Nevada Public Radio of my peers and introducing the music of violinist Rebecca Ramsey. I adore her and her compositions but wasn't sure what Public Radio Land would think. They dug her and the tour!

Personality of the year: Dan Welcher. Funny composer who always can make me laugh, and engage in thoughtful discussions.

Family of the year: Yenchko family. From their constant friendship, to the splendid gatherings these guys have made Central PA home.

Monday, December 26, 2005

As I juggle duties, hobbies, and am wondering how a.d.d./serial-monogramist I really am, I thought I'd share a compostion I wrote for violin senza voce. It is my Carmen (Electra) Fantasy.[hey, she's a woman named for two operas, think about it!]Real Audio file

Sunday, December 25, 2005

You should remember the following Norse fable the next time you sneak a peck under the mistletoe: Frigga, goddess of love and beauty, wanted to make the world safe for her son, Balder.Everything on earth promised to do him no harm except the one plant Frigga overlooked, mistletoe. Loki, an evil spirit, made an arrow from the mistletoe's wood and killed Balder. Frigga's tears became the plant's white berries and revived her son.In her gratitude, Frigga promised to kiss anyone who passed under the mistletoe, just as we do today.

Saturday, December 24, 2005

Last year in December I was proud to be a part of the first ever presentation of the complete Bartok String Quartets in Las Vegas. It was made available by my friend Teller (the shorter, quieter half of Penn & Teller.) Before the occasion I talked with Diane Chaplin, the cellist of the Colorado Quartet. Here's the interview we did. Enjoy!Real Audio file

Monday, December 19, 2005

From the ASCAP website:38TH ANNUAL ASCAP DEEMS TAYLOR AWARDS PRESENTEDAT NYC RECEPTION ON DECEMBER 15New York, December 15, 2005The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers presented the 38th Annual ASCAP Deems Taylor Awards for outstanding print, broadcast and new media coverage of music this evening. The winning writers and publishers were honored at a special reception held at The Allen Room, Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center in Manhattan.Over the years, tens of thousands of dollars have been distributed in cash prizes to winning authors, journalists and broadcast producers and personalities. The event featured performances by Broadway/cabaret vocalist KT Sullivan, composer/pianist Tania Leon, pianist Trudy Chan, and the Jazz Museum in Harlem Quartet, led by Loren Schoenberg. All the music related to the winning books and articles.The ASCAP Deems Taylor Radio Broadcast Award honored two radio programs: 20/20 Hearing, produced and hosted by John Clare, and Classical Discoveries, produced and hosted by Marvin Rosen.Cited in the Television Broadcast category was No Direction Home: Bob Dylan. The documentary film directed by Martin Scorsese, was produced by: Martin Scorsese (Sikelia Productions), Producer; Susan Lacy (American Masters), Producer; Jeff Rosen (Grey Water Park Productions), Producer; Nigel Sinclair (Spitfire Pictures), Producer; Anthony Wall (BBC), Producer; Paul G. Allen & Jody Patton (Vulcan Productions), Executive Producers, and edited by David Tedeschi.The ASCAP Deems Taylor Internet Award honored the contemporary classical music portal, Sequenza21 (http://www.sequenza21.com/), edited by Jerry Bowles.More: http://www.ascap.com/press/2005/121505_deems_taylor.html

Monday, December 12, 2005

Caught a wonderful performance of the Jupiter Chamber Players in NYC today.Alessio Bax, piano was joined by violinist Xiao Dong Wang and my friend Wendy Warner, cello in Suk and Rachmaninoff trios.As you can see I'm still mastering my new camera!

People often look baffled when I reply "Panufnik" when they ask me who is my favorite composer. Depending on the situation, I explain quickly or more in depth, that Andrzej Panufnik is not only my favorite but one of the most talented composers of the 20th Century.Let's hear some of the last movement of Panufnik's Violin Concerto. This excerpt shows the symetry of Panufnik - the orchestra slows down as the solo violin plays the melody and then returns, speeding up. (listen first to the melody, then go back and listen for the "clicks" (col legno - literally with the wood of the bow) as they slow down, the solo part continues, then the clicks come back in, speeding up.)MP4 fileA perfect polacca.

Next is the Hommage a Chopin, in his arrangement for Flute and strings. We begin with the second movement and a funny half step passage (which is hidden by them in different octaves - highly original!) and the return of the melody (a folk tune near the village where Chopin was born.)MP4 fileOriginal and very thoughtful.

Next the third movement is very quiet and sparse. First the flute takes the melody, then takes on the accompaniment. We'll hear the last phrase of the melody and then the first phrase of the accompaniment.MP4 fileLyric and linear.

Finally, Panufnik's brillant Concerto Festivo - written for the London Symphony. This is one of my all time favorite works. You are getting just a sample here, I encourage you to seek out the entire piece (score and recording!)MP4 file Brassy and classy!

After the fanfare and joyous music comes a much softer section. This is the most sublime music I know. The strings are linked with percussion to the woodwinds. The effect builds and grows.MP4 fileDrifting and uplifting.

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Close to my heart is the violin, and so we will visit lots of concerti for my instrument. Here are four examples to check out and cherish. I get excited just writing about them and preparing this. So much for getting anything else done tonight, I'm going to go listen to all of these now!I hope you too, will look these up.

Felix Mendelssohn wrote a concerto that became a standard in the Romantic repertory, for violinists and composers. Listen to this passage with Yehudi Menuhin and you'll hear why!MP4 file

Double stops, octaves and schmalz.

Johannes Brahms one up'd ol' Felix. This return to the orchestra at the end of the cadenza is charmingly played by Itzhak Perlman.MP4 file

Ah, trills and thrills.

Bela Bartok wrote a violin concerto (1938) and had it published. What he didn't tell anyone is that he wrote another one before that (1908) and gave it to the woman, Stefi Geyer, he was in love with, who did not return his love. She kept the score and told no one about it. It was discovered in her belongings after her death. This passage with David Oistrakh happens after a huge moment with the orchestra.MP4 file

Long, lost and lush!

The best for last? Well for today, Beethoven's Violin Concerto is the granddaddy of romantic concerti and is the GOLD standard. Viktoria Mullova certainly has a lot to say about it in her latest version - in this first movement passage leading up to a wild tutti.MP4 file

Sunday, December 04, 2005

Music is powerful. It is special. And music is always something that I want to share. The beauty of music, as I was reminded from listening recently to an interview I had done with a composer (Eric Ewazen) in live performance, is that the music changes each time. Despite that there are specific written (in concrete? not to be confused with music concrete) notes, musicians interpret them in many ways.

I also have a strong belief and feeling that the moments and memories we cherish can be found in music. From the cheesiness from "Star Trek: Insurrection" (where the lovely alien stops time with Jean-Luc) to an anecdote told to me by a teacher where an old composer/conductor held a particular chord in a performance of a symphony because "he thought it was so beautiful" that he would "never hear it or experience it again", I too, sincerely believe that you can "live" in a moment of music.

So from time to time, I'm going to share with you my ideas of perfect musical moments - and hope you'll embrace them and live with them as I do.I have three examples today that touch my heart.

The first is from Tchaikovsky'sFourth Symphony, second movement.MP4 file These chords (and the 2 phrases before this) are the essence of romance and sexiness to me.

The other two selections are of chamber music, two string quartets that I hold in very high regard. We'll start (and we will return to other passages in the future!) with Witold Lutoslawski's String Quartet from 1965.MP4 file This is a silly section for a serious piece of music.(we WILL return to it in the future!)

And finally, for today, Harbor Music by Austin-based NY composer Dan Welcher. It is the second string quartet that Dan wrote.MP4 fileThis melodic section speaks well of Dan, and of his gentle soul.(another 4tet that we will return to, wait til you hear the harbor bells and seagulls!)

Friday, December 02, 2005

I'm entertaining before the Brass and Organ Spectacular this evening for Gretna Music.It should be good fun, with audio clips from composers and some musical insights.The concert features the American Brass Quintet

and organist Timothy Brumfield.

The concert is in Leffler Chapel and Performance Center at Elizabethtown College at 7:30 pm. Concert Talk is one hour before at 6:30 pm.See you there!

I simply must go - Baby, it's cold outsideThe answer is no - Ooh baby, it's cold outsideThis welcome has been - I'm lucky that you dropped inSo nice and warm -- Look out the window at that stormMy sister will be suspicious - Man, your lips look so deliciousMy brother will be there at the door - Waves upon a tropical shoreMy maiden aunt's mind is vicious - Gosh your lips look deliciousWell maybe just a half a drink more - Never such a blizzard before

I've got to go home - Oh, baby, you'll freeze out thereSay, lend me your comb - It's up to your knees out thereYou've really been grand - Your eyes are like starlight nowBut don't you see - How can you do this thing to meThere's bound to be talk tomorrow - Making my life long sorrowAt least there will be plenty implied - If you caught pneumonia and diedI really can't stay - Get over that old outAhh, but it's cold outside